Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon have launched their open-source mapping project - eviltoast

Good news for folks looking to degoogle their phones, this should help open-source Google Maps alternatives.

Straight from their FAQ on the relationship with OSM:

What is the relationship between Overture and OpenStreetMap?

Overture is a data-centric map project, not a community of individual map editors. Therefore, Overture is intended to be complementary to OSM. We combine OSM with other sources to produce new open map data sets. Overture data will be available for use by the OpenStreetMap community under compatible open data licenses. Overture members are encouraged to contribute to OSM directly.

      • AlmightySnoo 🐢🇮🇱🇺🇦@lemmy.worldOP
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        1 year ago

        A bit off-topic but Microsoft and Meta are members of the PyTorch Foundation and so far their involvement has been very positive. Microsoft has its Azure cloud solutions and needs PyTorch to thrive to counter Google’s Tensorflow and JAX which are pushing people towards Google Cloud TPUs. It’s hard to EEE when many of them are involved in the same foundation.

        • Margot Robbie@lemmy.worldM
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          1 year ago

          I personally do like MS and Facebook’s open-source contributions even though I think Facebook’s entire product stack is terrible, which is what you get when you have a lot of smart people on the payroll but terrible leadership.

          Also, I think Tensorflow isn’t really a thing for newer projects, since from what I read PyTorch is very dominant right now.

      • Margot Robbie@lemmy.worldM
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        1 year ago

        I don’t think 3E has traditionally worked out for Microsoft all things considered (IE got destroyed by Chrome), I know I’m in the minority for this, but I wouldn’t be concerned right now.

    • AlmightySnoo 🐢🇮🇱🇺🇦@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      I won’t say it’s 100% clear to me either. Here’s what OpenStreetMap said about it last December:

      Everyone we talked to emphasised that Overture is not intending to replace or fork OpenStreetMap. They see the work as complementary. The individual companies expect to continue working directly with OpenStreetMap, and may even increase their involvement, including financial contributions. Map edits that are right for OpenStreetMap, should go to OpenStreetMap. This stated commitment to OpenStreetMap’s work and community also suggests that the companies and Linux Foundation are on board to support OpenStreetMap financially. Overture has come together with a small group, and the intention is to grow and work out many details. They welcome OpenStreetMap involvement in the form that makes most sense.

      The work obviously seems to be overlapping and my personal guess is that the companies involved in Overture likely have a different view on governance. The data is however made available under a permissive license and at the end of the day that’s what matters IMO.

      • Margot Robbie@lemmy.worldM
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        1 year ago

        Yeah, maybe they just want to get the data down faster without jumping through a bureaucracy they are not familiar with to merge it.

        Cautiously interested for now.